Why in news?
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) demonstrated a new artificial‑intelligence system called “Dynamic Targeting” on a commercial satellite in July 2025. The test showed how satellites could autonomously decide where to look to collect more valuable data.
How the technology works
- Look‑ahead sensor: A small sensor scans the path the satellite will soon fly over, identifying features such as clouds or interesting targets.
- On‑board AI processing: Algorithms analyse the look‑ahead images in less than 90 seconds to distinguish clear areas, clouds or phenomena like forest fires and volcanic eruptions.
- Dynamic re‑tasking: Based on this analysis the satellite autonomously points its primary instrument at clear or high‑priority areas and avoids imaging clouds. If a scene is cloudy the system can skip it to save data storage for more useful observations.
Benefits
- More efficient data collection: Avoiding clouds increases the share of usable imagery and reduces wasted downlink bandwidth.
- Rapid response to events: Future versions could recognise short‑lived phenomena such as wildfires, storms or volcanic eruptions and re‑task sensors to capture them in near‑real‑time.
- Autonomous operation: By processing data onboard, satellites reduce reliance on ground control and can adapt to changing conditions even when communication delays exist.
Future prospects
The demonstration marks a step toward “smart” Earth‑observation satellites capable of prioritising the most scientifically valuable data. Similar AI‑based methods could be used by India’s remote sensing missions to monitor crops, disasters and urban growth more effectively.